Inside campus libraries and dormitory rooms, thousands of students connect to the Internet not only to study with online systems like Blackboard but also to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix. Computers, smartphones, wireless printers, tablets, iPods, Xboxes, handheld gaming systems, e-readers, smart TVs, Blu-ray players--students now bring an…

Mark David Milliron, founder and chief executive of Catalyze Learning International, believes that all types of educational institutions--from elementary schools to universities--should be having conversations about the way they use information technology. In particular, Milliron believes technology will play a crucial role at community colleges…

Shawn Brixey's "Altimira" is a decidedly strange work of art--so strange that he has not, to date, put it on public display. He turns on a device, housed in a basketball-size glass chamber, and it converts rapidly pulsating radio signals emanating from pulsars--collapsed stars that spin violently, sweeping their poles like lighthouses…

Discusses why some college officials see personal digital assistants as must-have tools, while others find the hand-held computers a drain on resources. (EV)

Describes how California's Peralta Community Colleges District decided to hire an outside company to manage its computer networks, but that problems cause it to now want a technology boss on its own staff. (EV)

This article describes The Onion Router (TOR). It is a freely available, open-source program developed by the U.S. Navy about a decade ago. A browser plug-in, it thwarts online traffic analysis and related forms of Internet surveillance by sending your data packets through different routers around the world. As each packet moves from one router to…

Describes how colleges are taking advantage of bargains on fiber-optic lines to build regional computer networks; some envision a national network for academe. (EV)

Discusses St. Joseph University's investment in high-tech classrooms and its belief that it is the best way to attract and teach students. (EV)

In the fall of 2000, half the freshman class arrived at college with their own computers, proficient at using Windows, word-processing software, the Internet and electronic mail. The author offers a look at the computing lifestyles of freshmen on five college campuses. (JM)

Discusses how officials at Salt Lake Community College decided the only way they could get the kind of technology service they needed was to hire a company to run the operation; the plan will not save money, but seeks better service and room for expansion. (EV)

Presidents for different companies such as John C. Buechner, Richard A. Detweiler, and Mark Clark from various universities give their individual views on the expected role played by the chief information officers, and also themselves while tackling decisions related to information technology (IT). Some of the recommendations offered include,…

Describes how budget cuts in many states are forcing public colleges to trim technology spending and require students to pay more for computer services. (EV)

Colleges and universities are discovering that planning is the most effective way to make decisions about spending for new technology. A national survey shows fewer institutions are using one-time budget allocations, more are using a plan for amortizing costs. For state institutions, budgeting is often up to legislatures. College and university…

A conference on "Teaching and Technology" held near Earlham College is discussed. The changes that colleges must make to help students take advantage of the "information explosion" were examined. Access to information, it is suggested, would interest students in seeking bridges between disciplines. (MLW)

While Microsoft Corporation officials state unequivocally that the company does not want to get into the business of higher education, the company and its chairman have been quietly acquiring rights to intellectual property and creating software rich in academic content. College administrators, nervous about competition for students, are concerned…